Extra sleep can be more effective than painkillers

Sleeping for two hours extra a night can reduce sensitivity to pain and can be
more effective than strong painkillers, according to a new study.

Volunteers who had more than 10 hours sleep were able to resist pain from heat for longer than those who slept for eight hours or lessPhoto: Alamy

8:30AM GMT 01 Dec 2012

Scientists say ten hours of sleep a night – rather than the recommended eight – is more effective in reducing pain than codeine.

Researchers studied 18 volunteers over four nights and found that those who slept for 10 hours were able to keep their finger on a heat source for 25 seconds longer than those who had eight hours or fewer.

The findings, published in the journal Sleep, also revealed the effect was greater than was seen in a previous study where volunteers were given 60mg of the painkiller codeine.

The results, combined with data from previous research, suggest increased pain sensitivity in tired people is the result of their underlying sleepiness.

Dr Timothy Roehrs, of Henry Ford Hospital in the United States, said: "Our results suggest the importance of adequate sleep in various chronic pain conditions or in preparation for elective surgical procedures.

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"We were surprised by the magnitude of the reduction in pain sensitivity, when compared to the reduction produced by taking codeine."

Previous studies have suggested that poor sleep is linked to chronic pain in women.

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim concluded that even those who occasionally had trouble sleeping were at double the risk of pain.

Two thirds of people with chronic back pain also suffered from sleep disorders.

Researchers said the latest study was the first to suggest that extended sleep in sleep-deprived volunteers reduced their sensitivity to pain and that the sensitivity in sleepy individuals was the result of their underlying sleepiness.

Separate research indicated that eight out of 10 people had suffered seasonal aches and pains as a result of festivities at Christmas.

Catching a cold and slipping on ice were the most common causes – accounting for 53 per cent and 41 per cent of seasonal complaints respectively, according to a poll by the makers of the painkiller Panadol.

Other common Christmas complains included indigestion from overindulgence, paper cuts from present-wrapping and headaches from the pressure of preparations.

Even the turkey proved treacherous, with one in six people having being burned while preparing the Christmas dinner.